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Dr B, Cat Veterinarian

Category: Cat Veterinary

Satisfied Customers: 1457

Experience: DVM

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Sore throat. have doxycycline on hand. can't get to vet

Customer Question

sore throat. have doxycycline on hand. can't get to vet today because husband has cancer and is extremely sick.JA: I'm sorry to hear that. What is the cat's name and age?Customer: Lulu, age 12. She has stomatitis and has all her teeth removed, but this is more of a sore throat symptom today. She acts like she is trying to clear her throat, she's not eating.JA: Is there anything else the Veterinarian should be aware of about Lulu?Customer: stomatitis, no teethJA: OK. Got it. I'm sending you to a secure page on JustAnswer so you can place the $5 fully-refundable deposit now. While you're filling out that form, I'll tell the Veterinarian about your situation and then connect you two.

Hi this is DRB and I would be happy to help you with this. First off I would not use the doxycycline until you can have a vet examine her. This is especially true in a cat that is not eating. If she is anorexic you can make it worse with the doxycycline. Also you cannot give cat's the pill form of this drug without risking a strictured esophagus. And that is life threatening.

So, what you can do is to get some chicken or turkey baby food or some very soft cat food and slowly force feed her. The baby food works well because it is pasty and can be wiped on the roof of her mouth. Also you can pick up nutrical from the pet store and force feed her some of that as well. Getting this food into her will help prevent fatty liver which is a condition that cats get when they do not eat. Then you can get her to the vet as soon as you possibly can for an exam so they can figure out her problem. The symptoms you described are non specific and she will have to be examined.

I hope this helps you but feel free to leave additional questions here as I will be happy to get back to you.

I understand perfectly but you cannot give Doxycycline on an empty stomach as you will just make your cat more and definitely she will not eat then. Do you have any canned food that you could give her?

Unfortunatley there is no home remedy for a sore throat and Doxycycline can actually make sore throat worse. And usually when cats are swallowing and trying to clear their throat there is another cause other than a sore throat. The best thing you can do is try to get some food into her. That is very important to prevent fatty liver. Regardless of her current symptoms if she does not eat that can shut her liver down and lead to death of the patient.

I am very sorry things are so tough for you right now and I am sorry that I could not assist you more. Sincerely, DRB